Barlow’s Research Roundup: Top stock ideas in energy ahead of earnings season
The Globe and Mail’s Scott Barlow roundup cites CIBC’s Dennis Fong previewing energy earnings, noting oil prices fell to about US$70/bbl and expecting narrow WCS-WTI differentials. Fong lists CVE, KEL, PD, SDE, and TVE. It also summarizes BMO population-growth analysis and BofA’s initiation of SpaceX (SPCX) Buy with a $235 price objective.
How this was made

The 30-second read
Why it matters
Most named energy companies are included as analyst “top ideas” without new company disclosures. The only more concrete tradable item is the BofA initiation on SpaceX (SPCX) with a Buy rating and a stated price objective, plus a thesis centered on Starship full reusability enabling lower launch costs and growth in Starlink and compute.
Market read
Traders get a sentiment tilt toward Canadian energy names into earnings season and a more direct valuation catalyst for SpaceX via an initiation call. However, the energy portion lacks fresh, company-specific information.
What to watch
No company-specific risk items are discussed (hedging, production outages, capex changes, or guidance sensitivity), so traders should not treat the list as a substitute for earnings-specific fundamentals.
Background
The article is a daily research roundup previewing energy earnings season and summarizing analyst notes, including a BofA initiation on SpaceX.
Ticker impact
The roundup lists Canadian oil and gas “top ideas” for Q2/26 including CVE, tied to expectations for narrow WCS-WTI and strong crack spreads.
Bias modestly positive into earnings season, but no new CVE-specific datapoint is provided beyond the analyst pick.
The article is a strategist roundup and does not disclose any fresh CVE event, guidance, or datapoint; it only reports an analyst’s thesis and inclusion in a list.
PD appears in the Q2/26 “top ideas” list, framed by expectations that WCS-WTI stays narrow through the third quarter.
Potential mild positive read-through into earnings season, but not a tradable catalyst for PD on its own.
The text does not provide new PD fundamentals, guidance, or results; it only relays an analyst’s selection criteria.
TVE is listed among Q2/26 top energy ideas, with the sector thesis referencing narrow WCS-WTI and supportive realizations for Canadian integrateds.
Small positive bias possible, but the article lacks a fresh TVE catalyst.
This is a roundup of analyst picks; it does not disclose new TVE results, guidance, or transactions.
The roundup states BofA Securities initiates coverage of SpaceX with a Buy rating and a $235 price objective.
Near-term upside bias possible as the market digests the initiation and $235 PO, though follow-through depends on broader sentiment.
Unlike the energy list, this includes a specific, attributable analyst action (initiation, rating, and price objective) and a concrete thesis tied to Starship reliability and economics.
Market effects
Reinforces a bullish read-through for Canadian oil and gas based on crack spreads, WCS-WTI differential expectations, and natural gas inventory dynamics.
Supports sentiment toward Canadian energy equities into earnings season, anchored to Canadian pricing differentials and inventory trends.
Limited global spillover; the macro framing references Persian Gulf volatility and oil price moves but does not introduce new global policy or supply shocks.
Counterpoint
The energy “top ideas” are driven by macro assumptions (differentials, crack spreads, inventory levels) that can reverse quickly, so the picks may underperform if oil/gas pricing shifts before earnings.
Key entities
- analystDennis Fong (CIBC)
Previewed energy earnings season and provided top picks for Q2/26, citing macro volatility, crack spreads, and WCS-WTI expectations.
- analystCandace Browning Platt (BofA Securities)
Initiated coverage of SpaceX with a Buy rating and a $235 price objective, based on a long-term DCF and Starship reliability/economics debate.
- economistsDoug Porter and Robert Kavcic (BMO economists)
Provided context on Canada’s population growth slowdown and its implications for potential output and near-term GDP.


